Piano



July 21', 1931. H. BARTH 1,815,228

PIANO Filed June 10, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l July 21, 1931. H. EARTH PIANO F'il ed June 10. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 M INVENT R Patented July 21, 1931 PATENT OFFICE HANS EARTH, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

PIANO Application filed June 10,

It is among the prime objects of the present invention toprovideapianowhich will sound quarter tonenotes in addition to the usual full and half tonenotes.

It is afurther object of the present inventionto providea pianorincluding a plurality of? closely associated manuals on keyboards.

his a further'object of thepresent inventiontoprovide-a piano having two keyboards, 1s arranged aboveand rearwardly from the other instaggered relation.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a pianohaving a plurality of string sets together with; separate damping meansadapted to bo -simultaneously actuated bythe operators foot A still further-object of the present invention. is-toprovide-in a piano novel and improved key operating means.

,Other important objects of the present invention-includethe provision ot a novel, simple' and eflioient combinationv and inter-relation of parts Which iswell designedto meet the demands of economicmanufacture.

Other-objects and features of the present invention will be apparent from a consideration; of: the following specification taken in connection with the-accompanying drawings,

Fig.1; is aperfspect-iveview-of one preferred embodiment of thepresent invention;

Fig. 2'is a: side elevation of the invention as shown-ind? ig. 1; and

Fig. 3"isa: detailed vertical sectional view through the keyboards: and associated struc ture.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, it will be notedthat the invention is shown in t'heform of a grand piano. It will be understood, however, that the invention is not confined to this specific type of construction. It. will be furtherunderstood that throughout, the following specification and claims the terminology used and structure presented is only by way of illustration and the invention is not thereby confined but is intended to embrace many changes and modifi'cations and the: use. of equivalents.

list n n m e pat n ar y i F s a 1929. Serial No. 369,682.

2 of the drawings, it will be seen that the present preferred embodiment of the invention includes a conventional piano having the piano boxlO and supporting legs 11' together with the damper controlling foot pedals l2 and their associated vertical links 13.

The strings of the piano box are of the conventional full and half tone character andare of course struck by the conventional hammers (not shown) which operate in response to movement of keys 14' shown in Fig. 3.

Mounted upon the piano box 10, and spaced therefrom by supports 15 to permit sound propagation fromthe box 10, a second piano box 16 is provided which includes the key board 17, the keys of which are designed to operate the strings of the box in the conventional manner. The strings of the box 16 are however tuned differently from the strings of the box 10 being preferably tuned toquarter tones, thus providing for the propagation of full, half and quarter tones by the instrument. The piano box 16 is somewhat shorter than the box 10, thus the keys 17 are above and commence on a line approximately parallel with the inner ends of the keys 14.

F or operating both sets of keys within a convenient operating range, a supplemental keyboard 18 is provided mounted directly over the keys 14 and just below and forward from the keys 1?. With the keyboard 18, key operating mechanism is provided as illustrated in Fig. 3 and contained within a casing 19 which extends between the boxes 1.0 and 16 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Referring particularly to Fig. 3, it will be seen that the keys 18 extend rearwardly between the piano boxes to be pivoted by a large hole and vertical pin as shown at 20, the keys being retained against undue motion by the cross-rod 21. Associated with the under side of each key 18 a pivoted link 22 is provided associated with a pivoted arm 23 which is normally urged upwardly by the spring 24. The arm 23 is providedv with a pivoted driving link 25 which is guided by the pivoted guide-arm 26., The lower end of the link 25 rests upon one of the keys 14, there being a cooperating key 18 for each of the keys 14. Thus it will be seen that by playing upon the keys 18, the strings of the pianobox 10 will be vibrated through the corresponding movement of the keys 14 through the link mechanism described.

For simultaneously controlling the dampor (not shown) of the piano box 16 with that of the piano box 10, a pivoted lever 27 is provided extending diagonally under and pivoted to the lower side of the box 10. The foi= ward end of the lever 27 is associated by a connection 28 for movement with the damper of the piano box 10, while the rear end of the lever is connected by a chain 29, shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, with a similar lever 30 mounted upon the box 16. The forward end of the lever 30 is associated with the damper of the piano box 16 and through the lever and linkage system shown is arranged to move with the lever 27 in response to movement of its associated pedal 12. I

To provide leverage for the operation of the pedals 12 there may if desired be provided the box 31 within which operating arms 32 are pivoted, their forward ends resting upon the pedals 12, while intermediate their ends and within the box 31, operating pins 33 are provided, downward movement of which by a foot will effect downward movement of the pedals 12, thus providing a leverage system for the pedals.

From the foregoing it will readily be seen that tne present invention provides novel and improved means for accomplishing the various objects of the present invention as outlined. It will be understood that numerous changes and modifications, and the full use of equivalents may be resorted to in forming the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as outlined in the appended claims.

Having now described my invention, what I claim, and desire to obtain by Letters Patent, is

1. In a piano, the combination with the usual grand piano box and keyboard there for of a supplementary superposed piano box having quarter tone strings and keyboard therefor.

2. In a piano, the combination with the usual grand piano box and keyboard therefor of a supplementary superposed piano box having quarter tone strings and key board therefor, the supplementary piano box being supported by the usual piano box, the keyboard of the supplementary piano box being arranged above and behind the key board of the usual piano box.

3. In a piano, the combination with the usual piano box and keyboard therefor of a supplementary piano box having quarter tone strings and keyboard therefor, the supplementary piano box being supported by the usual piano box, the keyboard of the sup plementary piano box being arranged above and behind the keyboard of the usual piano box, and an operating keyboard for the keys of the usual keyboard mounted over said usual keyboard.

4. In a piano, the combination with the usual piano box and keyboard therefor of a supplementary piano box having quarter tone strings and keyboard therefor, the supplementary piano box being supported by the usual piano box, the keyboard of the supplementary piano box being arranged above and behind the keyboard of the usual piano box, and an operating ke board for the keys of the usual keyboard mounted over said usual keyboard and adjacent to the keyboard of said supplementary piano box.

5. In a piano, the combination with the usual piano box and keyboard therefor of a supplementary piano box having quarter tone strings and keyboard therefor, the sup plementary piano box being supported by the usual piano box, the keyboard of the supplementary piano box having quarter above and behind the keyboard of the usual piano box, and an operating keyboard for the keys of the usual keyboard mounted over said usual keyboard and adjacent to the keyboard of said supplementary piano box and spaced in staggered relation therefrom.

6. In a piano, the combination with the usual piano box and keyboard therefor of a supplementary piano box having quarter tone strings and keyboard therefor, and means for simultaneously damping the strings of both of said piano boxes, said means including the usual damping means for said usual piano box and a pivoted linkage system associated therewith and extending to the damping means of said supplementary piano box.

7 In a piano, the combination with the usual piano box and keyboard therefor of a supplementary piano box having quarter tone strings and keyboard therefor, and means for simultaneously damping the strings of both of said piano boxes, said means including the usual damping means for said usual piano box, a pivoted linkage system associated therewith and extending to the damping means of said supplementary piano box, and leverage means for operating said usual damping means.

8. An attachment for pianos comprising a piano case including a horizontal sounding board, strings arranged across the sounding board, piano action hammers within the case and a key board for said hammers, said key board being positioned in front of and below the sounding board whereby upon superposed relation of the attachment to a conventional piano the key board of the attachment will be in horizontal stepped relation with the key board of the piano.

9. An attachment for pianos comprising a piano case including a horizontal sounding board, strings arranged across the sounding board, piano action hammers Within the case and a key board for said hammers, said key board being positioned in front of and beloW the sounding board whereby upon superposed relation of the attachment to a conventional piano the key board of the attachment Will be in horizontal stepped relation With the key board of the convenional piano, and a supplementary key board associated with the attachment for superposed relation over the key board of the piano and including a key actuating action whereby normal playing operation upon the supplementary key board will effect normal action of the keys of the normal piano.

This specification signed this th day of May, 1929. 20 HANS EARTH. 

